1. Purpose
This policy sets out Murzo Group's approach to whistleblowing, speak-up reporting, protected disclosures, confidentiality, and protection from retaliation.
Murzo Group wants workers, contractors, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders to raise serious concerns early, safely, and in good faith where wrongdoing, risk, or concealment may affect people, customers, the public, animals, the environment, company assets, or legal compliance.
2. Scope
This policy applies to Murzo Group, its group companies, directors, workers, contractors, agency workers, consultants, suppliers, service providers, and business partners where they become aware of a concern connected with Murzo Group activity.
It applies to concerns arising in the UK and internationally, including concerns involving suppliers, overseas partners, digital systems, products, sites, fieldwork, laboratories, farming, food, security, finance, and public communications.
3. Reportable Concerns
A speak-up concern may include any genuine belief that serious wrongdoing has occurred, is occurring, or is likely to occur.
- Criminal offences, fraud, bribery, corruption, theft, money laundering, tax evasion, or sanctions breaches
- Health and safety risks, food safety risks, unsafe products, environmental harm, animal welfare concerns, or biosecurity failures
- Data protection, cybersecurity, confidentiality, surveillance, or misuse of information concerns
- Modern slavery, human rights abuse, harassment, discrimination, victimisation, or serious worker mistreatment
- Misleading claims, falsified records, concealed incidents, audit manipulation, or failure to meet legal duties
- Attempts to cover up wrongdoing, intimidate a reporter, destroy evidence, or interfere with an investigation
4. Personal Grievances
Personal employment grievances are normally handled through grievance, management, HR, or contract processes rather than whistleblowing, unless the matter is in the public interest or forms part of a wider serious concern.
Murzo Group may redirect a concern to a more suitable process where appropriate, while still taking any serious risk or legal concern seriously.
5. How to Raise a Concern
Concerns should be raised promptly with a manager, project owner, director, compliance lead, HR contact, contract manager, or another authorised Murzo Group representative.
Where the usual route is not appropriate, concerns may be submitted through the Murzo Group contact form or by email to admin@murzo.co.uk with enough detail to allow a proportionate review.
- Describe what happened, when, where, and who may be involved
- Explain the risk, impact, or legal concern as clearly as possible
- Provide supporting evidence where available, such as documents, emails, photos, batch details, logs, or witness names
- Avoid unlawful access, unauthorised recording, or taking confidential material beyond what is necessary to make the report
6. Confidentiality & Anonymous Reports
Murzo Group will treat speak-up concerns sensitively and will limit disclosure to those who need to know for assessment, investigation, legal advice, regulatory reporting, safeguarding, or corrective action.
Anonymous reports may be considered, but anonymity can make investigation and follow-up more difficult. Reporters are encouraged to provide a safe contact route where they are comfortable doing so.
7. Protection from Retaliation
Murzo Group does not tolerate dismissal, threats, victimisation, bullying, harassment, demotion, loss of work, blacklisting, or any other retaliation against a person who raises a concern in good faith.
Anyone who retaliates against a reporter, obstructs a report, knowingly provides false information, destroys evidence, or interferes with an investigation may be subject to contract action, disciplinary action, suspension of access, or termination of relationship.
8. Assessment, Investigation & Outcomes
Murzo Group will assess concerns proportionately, considering seriousness, urgency, available evidence, legal duties, safety risks, confidentiality, and potential conflicts of interest.
Possible outcomes include no further action, informal resolution, management action, supplier review, disciplinary or contract action, control improvements, authority notification, product hold, data breach handling, legal advice, or referral to another process.
9. External Reporting
Nothing in this policy prevents a worker from making a protected disclosure to a prescribed person, regulator, legal adviser, law enforcement body, or other appropriate authority where the law permits.
Reporters should consider obtaining independent advice where they are unsure whether a disclosure is protected or how best to raise a concern.
10. Records, Review & Responsibilities
Murzo Group will keep proportionate records of speak-up concerns, decisions, investigations, corrective actions, and closure outcomes, subject to data protection, confidentiality, privilege, and retention requirements.
Managers and authorised representatives are responsible for receiving concerns respectfully, escalating serious issues, preserving evidence, protecting reporters, and supporting fair investigation. This policy will be reviewed periodically and after significant speak-up matters.
